Sisters singer to appear in '1776' musical concert

Scout Miller first saw the musical "1776" when she was a little girl, and has always loved it. So, when she learned that an all-female concert version was to be performed locally, her first thought was: "They're going to do it in Bend! I'll definitely get tickets."

Her mother, however, had a different idea and suggested that she audition for a chance to actually be part of the show.

And that's how this Sisters-area teen found herself slated to play - and sing - the part of "Founding Father" James Wilson in the Tower Theatre at the end of this month. When she went in for the audition, she said, "I was petrified. I had never auditioned for anything before, nor had I ever been in a professional production like this."

1776 producer David Simpson explained that the plot line for the musical focuses on the heated debates that led up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The idea of having an all-female cast and no theatrical costuming was one that brings unique challenges, but he expects that the audience will be thoroughly pleased with the end result.

Initially, Miller read for the part of Thomas Jefferson's wife but didn't think she did too well. "Nevertheless, they asked me to come to callbacks. I was so thrilled! They told me to be ready to read the part of Martha Jefferson again but also requested that I be ready to read the part of James Wilson. When I read the part of Wilson ..., something clicked. When I finished reading the scene, everyone in the room knew I'd get the part. And I did!"

James Wilson was one of three Continental Congress delegates from Pennsylvania. Benjamin Franklin and John Dickinson were the others. Miller explained that Franklin was pro-independence and Dickinson was opposed. She said that, initially, Wilson did Dickinson's bidding but had a change of heart and became a leading proponent of independence.

In addition to being a delegate to the Congress, Wilson was a law professor, a brigadier general in the Pennsylvania State Militia during the Revolution, and was an inaugural member of the U.S. Supreme Court, nominated by President George Washington.

Miller is excited about her role in the production.

"I have always been interested in music. In fact, I cannot remember a time in my life when I was not singing," she said.

A recent high-school graduate, she also served as a volunteer middle-school teaching assistant at Sisters Christian Academy (SCA), where she attended kindergarten through eighth grade. She plans to pursue studies to become a teacher.

"Just a few weeks ago I made a trip to Washington, D.C. as a chaperone for the SCA middle-school students and was thrilled to find James Wilson's name not only on the Declaration of Independence ... but also the Constitution. After doing some research, I discovered he was one of the more important members of the group that drafted the Constitution."

With music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards, 1776 premiered on Broadway in 1969. The story is based, in part, on the actual writings of those portrayed in the play, and focuses particularly on the efforts of John Adams to persuade the Congress to adopt the Declaration of Independence. The original Broadway production ran for 1,217 performances and won several awards, including the Tony Award for Best Musical.

Miller seems to understand that what she's doing is pretty special.

"Central Oregon really hasn't seen anything like this before: a concert-style production with a full orchestra and an all-women cast? Wow! This is pretty revolutionary, no pun intended. I'm so excited to be doing something fun like this, and it's a benefit for the Tower too, meaning every last penny we make will go straight to the Tower Theatre. I think that's really cool!"

Performances will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 29 and Saturday, June 30, and on Sunday, July 1 at 2 p.m. For tickets, visit the Tower Theatre website at www.

towertheatre.org or call the box office at 541-317-0700. For additional information, contact Shore Thing Productions at 541-526-0233 or [email protected]